The last mile is quickly becoming the most important mile in shipping. In 2019, global e-commerce sales are expected to increase by 21.5%, according to recent reports. As recently as three years ago, consumer expectations fluctuated between three to five days for delivery of any item purchased online. Expectations have now shifted to a minimum threshold of one day delivery (preferably for free), and in many instances, two hours from the time the sale is completed. What role does speed of delivery play into your online purchases?

Have you noticed a change in your local mall recently? The traditional mall model that was developed nearly 70 years ago is heavily dependent on categories that are no longer fast-growing or meeting today’s consumer demands.

Department stores occupy 49% of the gross leasable area in U.S. shopping malls, with apparel & accessories stores occupying another 29%, according to a report by CBRE. These are two of the slowest growing categories in retail and the shift is resulting in a massive transformation of the tenants in malls.

Blockchain is expected to become a “disruptive force” in the automobile industry by the year 2021, according to 62% of industry executives polled in an IBM Institute of Business Value survey.

In addition to enabling a single source of data, blockchain can facilitate device-to-device transactions, smart contracts, and real-time processing and settlement. For automotive, this translates into improvements and operational efficiencies in areas such as supply chain transparency, financial transactions between ecosystem participants, authenticating access to cars, and customer experience and loyalty.

Let’s look at three ways blockchain is set up to transform the automobile supply chain:

A growing trend, Buy Online, Pick-Up In Store (BOPUS) has emerged as an option for retailers to leverage their brick and mortar locations to compete with online only stores and better meet the evolving needs of customers. An online presence in addition to a brick-and-mortar store can be a strategic asset in the fulfillment process, putting inventory closer to the customer and allowing them to pick-up at their convenience. Large retailers use buy online, pick-up in-store as a competitive edge to drive profits.

This trend was witnessed this past holiday season as Adobe found that click-and-collect orders grew a…

Have you heard about Shopify and the numerous capabilities of this shopping cart platform? Performance Team is excited to share that we’re integrated with Shopify. Here’s a little more detail about this platform and some facts about how it can support your business objectives:

Shopify is a SaaS (software as a service) platform that offers multi-functional tools to help users build and manage their online store. While there are many options available, Shopify made a name for itself for its simple design and easy to use format, especially for those who don’t have much experience in online-retailing….

2018 Holiday Season Trends & Predictions
The 2018 holiday shopping season is nearing a close. This year retailers have observed a continued shift in shopping trends as online ecommerce is gaining more momentum. An emerging trend includes customers shopping online and preferring a local pickup option instead of getting it delivered to their doorstep. In addition, the shopping time period commonly known as Black Friday – Cyber Monday has now been extended to include a whole week as retailers look to take advantage of the buildup with “early-bird” sales. Let’s take a look at a few statistics:
Thanksgiving Day: Online spending…

The retail omnichannel world continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Strategies that were deemed revolutionary in 2017 are now thought of as old news. Advances that were made in early 2018 are being replaced with newer ideas and processes. The expectation within the retail world is for even bolder changes and breakthroughs as 2019 approaches. Let’s take a look at some of the trends we are continuing to monitor as 2018 to a close.Mobile: The next time you are at a mall, retail store or specialty store, look around at how many people are…

The word ‘”blockchain” has been buzzing around the supply chain and logistics space for the past several years. Recently, the concept of blockchain has emerged as a legitimate component in the supply chain world and there are many definite advantages of how blockchain can transform operations. Blockchain is a distributed database that holds records of digital data or events in a tamper-resistant and secure way. While many users may access, inspect, or add to the data, they cannot change or delete it. The original information stays put, leaving a permanent…

Fast fashion has rapidly evolved into a significant sector within the fashion industry and the majority of the credit goes to their supply chain. Let’s take a look at a few of the factors influencing this trend.

Zara, the well-known clothing retailer closely controls its supply chain while also keeping a significant portion of its production in-house. This allows for more flexibility in the quantity, frequency, and variety of new products being launched. Zara adapts couture designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails clothes within two weeks of the original design first appearing on…

Halfway through 2018, we are seeing a major evolution within the ecommerce world. While growth of in-store purchases is seeing minimal increases, ecommerce sales for small, medium and large business are growing at a rapid pace. In the first quarter of 2018, Walmart saw its ecommerce sales grow 33% percent. This was sparked by the growth in online grocery sales, a complete website re-design and strategic partnerships with brands like Lord & Taylor. Walmart continues to transform its online grocery business and re-outfitting its stores to adjust for…